Washington: Smokers interested in quitting the habit can now get some serious help from their iPhones – a new free application provides a live quitline coach and uses live text to advice on how to kick the butt.
Developed by The George Washington University’s School of Public Health and Health Services (SPHHS) and the National Tobacco Cessation Collaborative (NTCC), My QuitLine app also provides evidence-based treatment for quitting.
It connects the user to the National Cancer Institute’s quitline service where they speak to a live quitline coach or use live text to get advice on quitting.
GW’s Dr Lorien Abroms, assistant research professor in the Department of Prevention and Community Health, designed the app with feedback from the NTCC, after reading an NTCC report about the lack of iPhone apps that link smokers to proven therapies.
“Quitline counseling has been shown to double a person’s chance of quitting smoking. It is important to make sure that in these new media environments, people still receive information about what has been proven to work in quitting smoking, and get access to tools that are based on these proven therapies,” said Abroms.
Users can look for the app by searching “My QuitLine” or “quit smoking” on their iPhone or on iTunes.
While the Apple app store has other applications to help people quit smoking, no others use products or services recommended as effective by the 2008 Public Health Service Guideline Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence.
“The My QuitLine app finally gives iPhone users access to an evidence-based method to help them quit smoking. The best part is that it is free and proven to work,” said Todd Phillips, director of the NTCC.
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